5 PKL Best Defenders of All Time in Pro Kabaddi History

2024/08/26

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Pro Kabaddi League has witnessed some of the greatest defenders who showcased their defending skills and abilities on the mat. A Defender is a player whose purpose is to stop the raider going back to his side after the raider tagged him or his other teammate.

In this blog, we will explore the PKL best defender, his outstanding stats in his Pro Kabaddi League along with other top defenders of the league who have been brilliant so far in the PKL seasons.

5 PKL Best Defenders of All Time:

Here is the list of the top five defenders in PKL history.

Pos.	Player	Matches	Successful Tackles	Tackle points	Average Tackle Points	Super Tackles
1	Fazel Atracheli	169	458	486	2.88	28
2	Surjeet Singh	148	379	404	2.73	25
3	Manjeet Chillar	132	374	391	2.96	17
4	Girish Ernak	147	346	362	2.46	16
5	Sandeep Narwal	156	330	360	2.31	30

1. Fazel Atrachali - PKL Best Defender

Fazel Atrachali, the Iranian powerhouse, is the best PKL defender and one of the most successful overseas players in pro Kabaddi League history. He has played for U Mumba and Patna Pirates and currently captains the U Mumba team.

Total Points: 486

Successful Tackles: 353

Tackle Strike Rate: 57%

Fazel is the captain of Iran National team and contributed a lot in the success of Kabaddi as a sport all over the world. Although this sport has grown in India, he, being an Iranian, has earned the status of best defender through his passion, hard work, and unmatchable skills.

Fazel's strength lies in his iron grip and strategic tackles. Besides his defending game, he has been a brilliant captain and leader over the mat. He played a crucial role in winning the PKL championship with Patna Pirates in PKL season 4 where he was awarded as the best defender.

Fazel is undoubtedly one of the most loved Kabaddi players in India and he has earned respect from teammates and opponents alike. The Iranian defense power house's ability to handle pressure situations has been crucial in several close matches.

2. Surjeet Singh

Surjeet Singh is a kabaddi player from India who plays in the Right Cover position. He is known as a strong defender and currently plays for the Jaipur Pink Panthers team. Throughout his career, he has been part of several teams, including Tamil Thalaivas, Puneri Paltan, Bengal Warriors, U Mumba, and Dabang Delhi.

Total Points: 404

Successful Tackles: 379

Tackle Strike Rate: 51.96%

Jaipur Pink Panthers bought Surjeet for 60 Lakhs INR in the recently concluded PKL auction 2024. So, Surjeet will be contributing with his defending skills and will look forward to winning a championship for the Jaipur Pink Panthers.

3.Manjeet Chhillar

Manjeet Chhillar is a great name in Indian Kabaddi and regarded as one of the best defenders in PKL history. Although, he was equally good in raiding position but his defending skills have set him apart from other PKL best defenders. He has played for different teams over the years in the PKL before retiring at the end of the 8th season of Pro Kabaddi League. The teams he has played for include Bengaluru Bulls, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Puneri Paltan, and Tamil Thalaivas.

Total Points: 391 (till Season 8)

Successful Tackles: 374

Tackle Strike Rate: 51%

Manjeet was very famous because of his strong ankle holds and blocks. He had the ability to read the game and make timely decisions and has been on top of his game before retirement. Manjeet Chillar was a household name and he equally contributed for the National Kabaddi Team of India.

4. Girish Maruti Ernak

Girish Maruti Ernak is another PKL best defender who basically plays in the left corner. He has played for teams like Puneri Paltan and Patna Pirates in his Pro Kabaddi career.

Total Points: 362

Successful Tackles: 346

Tackle Strike Rate: 45%

Girish has the reputation of strong blocks and raiders really struggle to escape from the hold of this player. Girish prediction against the raider has always been on spot and he equally maintains his weight to defeat the raider. These are the few things that make this defender unique from other defenders in the current scenario of Pro Kabaddi.

5. Sandeep Narwal

Sandeep Narwal is another PKL best defender who has an aggressive style of play. He has earned this status by performing consistently well for different teams throughout all the seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League. Sandeep has played for Patna Pirates, Puneri Paltan, and U Mumba teams in the PKL and he had a successful stint with every team.

Total Points: 348

Successful Tackles: 329

Tackle Strike Rate: 46%

However, Sandeep wasn’t picked up by any team in PKL Auction 2024. His base price was 13 Lac INR but no team looked interested in signing him. Many other big names in Kabaddi went unsold as teams were more interested in signing young players.

Sandeep Narwal plays in right corner and left corner while as a defender and also as an effective raider. Due to his overall performance as a defender and raider we can call him a very versatile player. The defender is able to stop the raiders with the powerful blocks and holds, physical strength and the stamina of this player was very good, so he can play the entire match with great consistency.

PKL Best Defenders in Season 10

Here is the list of best defenders who performed exceptionally well in the Pro Kabaddi league 2023.

Rank	Name	Team	Matches	Tackle Points
1	Mohammadreza Chiyaneh	Puneri Paltan	23	97
2	Krishan Dhull	Patna Pirates	24	78
3	Yogesh	Dabang Delhi KC	23	74
4	Rahul Sethpal	Haryan Steelers	22	71
5	Mohit Nandal	Haryan Steelers	23	70
6	Ankush Rathee	Jaipur Pink Panthers	22	70
7	Sahil Gulia	Tamil Thalaivas	22	69
8	Jaideep Dahiya	Haryana Steelers	22	68
9	Sagar Rathee	Tamil Thalaivas	18	66
10	Ankit	Patna Pirates	23	66